Articles Tagged Tech Tip Of The Day

Provided by Sweetwater. Q: My studio is outfitted with a DAW as well as a fairly large amount of outboard equipment, and it always delivers fairly good results. However, every once in a while there’s some weird distortion, and I’ll see a clip or something on one of the 20 different meters that’s either in the DAW or on the outboard. Is there some kind of hierarchy to these meters? A: A situation where you’re using multiple pieces of…
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Provided by Sweetwater. Q: I want to start repairing and making some of my own cables. However, I came upon a term I’m sure is such common knowledge that my question really shows my ignorance. That said, here goes: what is “tinning”? I know it’s part of the soldering process, but can you explain why it’s important, etc? A: Thanks for the question! While it’s indeed common knowledge, there’s no reason for you to know what tinning is unless…
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Provided by Sweetwater. Q: I’m currently in the process of building a home studio and just at the point of wiring all of the raw cable to patch bays. However, I’m a bit stuck because I’m not sure what patch bays to get. Is one “style” of patch bay better/more durable than another? I guess the same question goes for the patch cables themselves. A: Wow, is this ever a loaded question. Because the industry can’t come to a…
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Provided by Sweetwater. Q: I’ve heard that tube microphones should always be used upside down (with the diaphragm at the bottom). This is supposed to prevent heat from the tube from altering the frequency response of the mic. But I’ve seen a number of newer mics in which the mount does not allow for this. What’s the deal? A: In general, the mic designer will determine if the heat from an onboard vacuum tube is significant enough to alter…
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Provided by Sweetwater. Q: I’ve tried using overhead mics to add depth to my drum recordings, but all they do is make the recording sound washy. Any advice? A: A well-placed room mic can certainly add depth and space to a recording, especially on drums. But sometimes a room mic ends up picking up too much of a particular instrument and drowning out the source you were hoping would benefit from the room mic. A gate can be an…
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Provided by Sweetwater. Q: I remember reading that the group Boston had major problems years ago with some tape that had gone bad due to not being stored properly. I have some 2-inch master tapes I’d like to take care of. Advice? A: The best way to take care of those tapes is to keep them in a cool and dry place. Moisture is the worst thing for tape. It can absorb it, which further aggravates existing problems that…
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Provided by Sweetwater. Q: I’m on a committee to purchase a new sound system for my church. Are there any special considerations that go into this type of installation? A: In many ways, designing an effective system for a house of worship is one of the most demanding jobs in the audio business. While you are undoubtedly interested in good stewardship of your congregation’s funds, keep in mind that the following points are not “luxuries,” but are essentials for…
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Provided by Sweetwater. Q: I help out with the audio at my church, and when our choir director asked me to add a loudspeaker for the choir loft, I thought it sounded a little challenging but not overly difficult. Well, when I connected the wire to one of the loudspeakers in the hallway, the entire system went dead! The plate on the back of the loudspeaker said something about 70.7 volts. What’s going on, and what the heck is…
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Provided by Sweetwater. Q: I’ve been asked to finish the install of a system at a church that has been half-finished for a number of years. There’s only one issue I’ve found—whoever started the job never marked the multi-core wire that was run through the walls. What’s the best way to make sure that the polarity on multiple loudspeaker pairs are in phase when the wiring is all in-wall and the cable is not marked? A: First, shame on…
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Provided by Sweetwater. Q: I’ve had a nagging question that I’ve been debating with colleagues for months: print reverb or delay? Is there a clear cut answer? A: There are basically two schools of thought when it comes to the question of whether or not to record with effects or dry. Most engineers and mixers favor dry, since it’s easier to add effects than it is to take them away. The primary argument being that if a guitar is…
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